A bridge too far

Mandalay's famed U Pein Bridge, reputed to be the longest teak bridge in the world, is in need of urgent improvement following damage by floodwaters.

The wooden pillars are rickety, according to local media in Myanmar, so are the wooden floors. Built in the middle of the nineteenth century, U Pein Bridge is almost one kilometre long and stretches Taung-tha-man Inn Lake in Amarapura Township. - Bi Weekly Eleven News

South Korea spurs tourist growth

The Korea Tourism Organisation has set a goal of attracting more than 20 million foreign tourists by 2020 as part of its proclamation marking the state tourism organisations 50th anniversary. The number of foreign tourists has surged from 15,000 when the tourism organisation was founded in 1962 to an estimated 10 million this year. The KTO is aiming for Korea to be the most competitive country in tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, and for the number of days locals use for domestic travel to rise from eight to 30, also by 2020. - ANN

Opulence in One Ho Chi Minh

The Ritz-Carlton is knocking on the Vietnamese market, with the luxury hotel announcing the opening of its first hotel in Saigon, marking another step in the group's expansion in Asia. The 250-room hotel is located in the historic centre of Saigoni9 across from the famous Ben Thanh Square market in a 48-storey tower. It forms part of a project called The One Ho Chi Minh City, which also includes prime office spaces, retail outlets and 350 luxury apartments.

Amazing at the Artipelag

The link between visual arts and the Skerry islands off the Swedish coast is the focus of the new Artipelag art centre, which has opened its doors on Halludden, close to the capital, Stockholm. The building provides 9,000 square metres of space for exhibitions and for one-off events such as concerts. The complex includes several restaurants and a design shop. Displays highlight architecture, industrial design trends and craft skills. The Artipelag is accessible from Stockholm by boat - the trip takes around 60 minutes - or in 15 minutes by car. Visit www.Artipelag.se. dpa

On the other side of the tracks

The harsh reality of building railways in the hot and dusty environment of inland Australia during the expansion years of the 1950s, 60s and 70s is the focus of a new Australian exhibition. The expo in the rail museum in Ipswich near Brisbane shows the hardships of camp life, the separation from land, islands and family, and the opportunities and challenges of working on the railway. Visit www.TheWorkshops.qm.qld.gov.au.

Logging on at 30,000 feet

ANA's international flights will be equipped with Wi-Fi Internet connectivity "OnAir Wi-Fi service" from summer 2013. The service will initially be made available on ANA's Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 767-300ER fleets serving ANA's international network. The in-flight Internet will work in the same way as a Wi-Fi hotspot on the ground.